Gay Saudi Prince Convicted Of Sadistically Killing Servant Sentenced, National Organization For Marriage Wants To Sponsor Angry Anti-Gay Republican Carl Paladino But Does Not Want To Play By State Election Rules, Gay Kentucky Mason Leads Revolution, Sony Settles Anti-Gay Harassment Suit, Ryan Gosling Bloodied, Anderson Cooper For Elton John AIDS Foundation

Justice David Bean Wednesday sentenced a gay Saudi Prince to at least 20 years in prison for the beating and strangling death of a servant on February 15th, 2010, 34 year old Saud Abdulaziz bin Nasser al Saud showing no emotion in a British court as he heard his sentencing, having been found guilty of murder as well as a second count of causing grievous bodily harm with intent relating to an attack in an elevator in the hotel the two men had been staying in since January, reports the Guardian. The prince, found guilty on both charges by a jury Tuesday in under two hours, and who now faces the possibility of execution if returned to Saudi Arabia, where being gay continues to be considered a capital offense, was told by Judge Bean “It is very unusual for a prince to be in the dock on a murder charge. But your trial has proceeded in just the same way as anyone else’s would in this court. No one in this country is above the law. It would be wrong for me to sentence you either more severely or more leniently because of your membership of the royal family in Saudi Arabia,” adding that “I cannot be sure that you intended to kill your victim. I think the most likely explanation is that you could not care less whether you killed him or not.” The prince, who long denied he was gay, had a history of abusing 32 year old Bandar Abdulaziz; prosecutors have argued that he long suffering a campaign of “sadistic abuse” at the hands of the prince, who appears to have believed he could use the man to fulfil any and all sadistic impulses without reproach.

The Buffalo News is reporting that the National Organization for Marriage wants to sponsor political advertisements endorsing Republican New York gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino, but NOM does not want to conform to state election laws requiring it to register as a political committee and reveal the names of its contributors. Anti-gay NOM has asked federal Judge Richard J. Arcara to hear arguments Thursday to declare a section of the state Election Law unconstitutional, NOM continuing to contend it has special privileges to act outside the law because it costumes itself as non-partisan, not “under the control” of any particular candidate or party. The New York Election Board disagrees, an attorney representing two state Election Board officials saying “NOM does not want to abide by (the state’s) rules. The fact that all other political committees must follow them is no concern to NOM. NOM, quite simply, seeks to gain preferential status to support and oppose candidates for public office without disclosing from whom it obtains and how it spends money.”

From Kentucky, members of the Masons Monday at an annual meeting rejected a proposal to change the group’s state constitution to have prohibited openly gay men from being holding membership, thought to be the oldest and largest fraternity in the United States, and as a the Lexington Herald Leader reports, the revolution from within comes courtesy of 26 year old John Wright. When Wright, the leader of a Winchester-based Right Angle Lodge in Clark County, Kentucky told members he was gay, one called him a “flaming faggot,” insisted he resign, and led others in a walkout. But Wright stood strong, saying “Being a member of this fraternity is something that is extremely important to me, and I am will to fight to keep my membership. My father and paternal grandfather were also Masons, and I knew they would want me to fight for what I believe is right. I will also fight for the other gay Masons in Kentucky so they can themselves without fear or harassment from lodge members.”

The New Jersey Division of Civil Rights announced Tuesday that Sony Music Holdings, Inc. has agreed to pay Charles E. Morgan, a former employee of its compact disc manufacturing plant in Pitman, New Jersey, in an attempt to resolve allegations that he was regularly harassed because of his sexual orientation, according to the New Jersey Star-Ledger. In addition, Sony has agreed to provide Morgan with a neutral reference if contacted by prospective employers. Under the settlement , Sony makes no admission of any wrongdoing. Morgan, a resident of Philadelphia, was hired in October, 2008 and charged in an original complaint that between May, 2009 and August, 2009 he reported at least three separate occasions to Sony management that he was being harassed in the workplace, slurs written about him near his work site and on the men’s restroom wall. On August 14Morgan, a resident of Philadelphia, was hired in October, 2008 as a part-time employee and he charged in an original complaint that between May, 2009 and August, 2009 he reported at least three separate occasions to Sony management that he was being harassed in the workplace, slurs written about him near his work site and on the men’s restroom wall. On August 15th, he reported that a co-worker told him “you’re too gay to sit here.” Morgan charged that Sony took no action, and he argued that as an act of reprisal, denied him a promotion to full-time employment.

Ryan Gosling spotted on the set of Drive, bloodied, but beautiful nonetheless.

Anderson Cooper is seen arriving Tuesday night at An Enduring Vision Ninth Annual Benefit for the Elton John AIDS Foundation.